Color Blind
by Zero Hakaru
Summary: A loose adaptation of the Pokemon games, starting with RBY. Red, Green, and Blue have all passed their Trainer's Licensing Exam and are now ready to venture out on the road. Though, is the life of a Pokemon Trainer really worth it? [HE FINALLY UPDATED. SIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE]
1. Act One: Chapter One

**Disclaimer**: Pokemon and all related characters are trademarked properties of Nintendo and The Pokemon Company. _Color Blind_ is a non-profit, loose adaptation of the Pokemon games found on the various Nintendo handheld consoles.

**Author's Note**: This fic will be using the Japanese names for the characters, so the Rival Character goes by the name of Green rather than Blue, and the female protagonist goes by Blue over Green

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**Act One**: **Dream Job**

**Chapter One**: **I Don't Want To Be A Trainer**

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_I never considered too much about what I wanted to be when I grow up. I was always too busy in the now, too busy having fun. Playing video games with my friends, going to school, goofing off... the things kids always did. The days passed by and not once did I ever consider my future. I never thought about where I'd be or what my dream job would be. Sure, I toyed with being a police officer or a fireman or astronaut; the standard answers boys gave to the teacher. _

_Not once did I ever consider becoming a Pokemon Trainer._

"Seriously, Red? _That's_ the picture you're going to use for your training license!" harped the boy with the stylishly spiked chestnut hair. He held a laminated card in his hands and looked ready to tear it in half. "C'mon man, you look like you just rolled out of bed and you're ready to fall back asleep where you stand! Couldn't you have at _least_ combed your hair to look somewhat presentable!" His sharp and sarcastic voice projected his annoyance as clear as day for every passerby to hear.

The boy on the receiving end of the criticism swiped the card back and glanced at it once more to see what the big deal was. On the face displayed **POKEMON TRAINER LICENSE** in broad, stylish gold lettering along the standard information all licenses were required to have:

**Name**: Red Satoshi

**Sex**: Male

**Hair**: Black

**Eyes: **Red

**Height**: 5'6"

**Address: **36 Birthshore St. Pallet Town, Kanto.

**Birthday**: 08/08/20XX

Right beside the information, was the very photo his friend berated him for. The picture of the slender boy showed off his unkempt, jet black hair that began its first steps in invading his face. His eyes, though a vibrant scarlet red, were half lidded and lacked any glimmer of light. Red's face was stoic –not even a smile had tried to escape his lips to make a nice image. The ID was just… plain.

"I don't see why you're so bent out of shape about this, Green," Red replied with his much softer voice. He sighed as he pocketed the I.D. card into his wallet and slipped it into the breast pocket of his red and white jacket, before pulling his matching cap over his mess of hair to conceal it. "Not like anyone will know with this on. Anyway, be grateful I took the licensing test to begin with."

Green's ironically-emerald eyes flared at the indifferent attitude of his friend. Well, their parents had labeled them that – friends. "What? Were you just gonna go to high school like everyone else, Red? You should be glad I convinced your worthless ass to take this test! You get to take a shot at a life that many try and fail at. Hell, your grades were the top of the testing group, below me obviously, but still top!"

"There's the kicker – many kids go off to do this gig and fail at it," Red murmured, voice pessimistic and just the slightest bit bitter. "Why send fourteen-year-olds out on the hardest profession out there when normal people go to school and get a job at eighteen?"

"Because Red, Pokemon-training is the most elite job there is." Green's voice started to swell with energy. It seemed the crest of a passionate rant was on the conversation's horizon. "It surpasses the same old tired jobs the world has to offer! It's a job that always grows and changes because of Pokemon themselves. Working with these living creatures that we shared our history with and still know next to nothing about them! You and I have a chance to be a part of a monumental adventure and a chance to make history ourselves. We could discover the mysteries surrounding them! How can you not be excited about that!"

Red simply shrugged. "Dunno, guess I never thought about it." A heavy and depressed sigh came from his more excited friend. To just be greeted with apathy after a quick rant like that was enough to deflate anyone.

"Damn man, get with it."

"Like I said, I took the test and passed. I never said I wouldn't try." Red did recall this argument before when they had both turned thirteen last year. Green was all ready to do this Pokemon thing as soon as his birthday rolled around. No surprise there though; his entire family was all involved in the Pokemon field and constant exposure to it in his life had obvious influence. Red, on the other hand, never had particular interest in the field, but Green insisted that he join him as a Trainer. Well, it was more like harassed to the point of breaking laws. However, Red agreed to take the test, and he did it to the best of his abilities, granting him the highest grade in his testing block and just below Green's score.

"I sure hope so. Being compared to you is an embarrassment as is." Green shoved his hands in his jean pockets and shuffled his feet around. Green needed to change the subject to keep from getting irritated further. "Blue had the time slot for her final test after you, right?"

"Yeah."

Silence hung in the air around them as Red's indifference had the ability to kill the mood around them. He watched Green pace around and kick pebbles here and there. Red knew something bugged Green as this was the start of his moods. He was always irritated with something when they argued. Why he had to take everything so personal was beyond Red. Green just needed to relax more.

"Gee, guys... with the air around here, you'd think someone just died."

As if by some miracle to wipe away the awkward air, out of nowhere came a perky voice that cut through the painful silence. The two boys turned to see the last member of their little cadre of justice. The girl rolled her aqua eyes in mild irritation at the two boys in the midst of their head-butting. "Do I always need to be around to keep you two from killing each other?"

"Sup, Blue?" Green greeted, perking up a little with her needed intervention. Red muttered a quieter greeting, but at least seemed happy to see her too. "How'd the test go?"

Blue flashed a wide, beaming grin and held up her fresh I.D. like it was a treasure. "Bam! I aced it!" Green plucked her I.D. from her hand to have a glance over. A smirked crossed his lips and he leered at Red's direction.

"See man, _this _is a proper photo for the I.D," he proclaimed, holding the card out to Red to show off Blue's photo. "This neatly-combed and styled brown hair falls perfectly around her face and shoulders. Her eyes are wide and awake, and her smile just shows she is ready to take on the world! This is the look of professionalism." Red took one look at the card's photo, seeing Blue's complimenting photo. She did have that beautiful chocolate that grew down to her waists and her bangs flipped effortlessly away to keep from impeding in on her face. Her eyes were always bright and full of life, definitely a contrast to Red's half-lidded, pensive eyes. But Blue was a natural beauty. Her pictures always flattered her perky and lively nature.

"Sure you didn't take the test to be a gay fashion consultant, Green?" Red let a rare grin escape as he felt the need to one up the irksome Green. His rival's face contorted into a grimace, fuming at the joke made at his expense.

"You are so dead!" Green made a move to lunge at Red, but Blue caught him by the collar of his purple sweater before he could take a swing.

"Now now, children, all good boys must behave," she chastised as she pulled Green back. "Do I need parent you guys every day?" She glared at the two boys who just shrank away from her accusing look. "We all passed, right? So, we should be excited and preparing to start our journey tomorrow!"

"'Cept Red is being a wet blanket about this." Green grumbled, recalling the argument Blue stepped in.

"What? I don't do 'excited,' and you know this." Red shrugged.

"That is true – he doesn't even get pumped for his birthday," Blue added in. Green's mouth dropped in awe as Blue started to defend the indifferent boy.

"But still... this is a whole different world for us, how can you not be thrilled for this!" Green was ready to start the fight all over again, something Red wasn't particularly looking forward to again. "This indifference is pissing me off. Aren't you excited to do the same thing that your fath-"

"Ah-ah-ah-sshh!" Blue stammered and shoved her hands on Green's mouth to shut him up, but it was already clear on what he said. The two watched Red's face darken slightly as he pulled the lid of his cap down.

"I gotta get going." That was all Red had to say before he turned face to head home. He left the two standing at the lot of the training facility, not looking back once.

Blue, furious at Green's carelessness and running mouth, shot a spiteful look at him. "Are you retarded! Why the hell did you have to bring that up!"

"I didn't mean to! It just came out!" Green waved his arms trying to get Blue off of him. "His attitude was pissing me off!"

"I know Pokemon is an important field for you Green, but you need to consider Red's feelings, too. You shouldn't have bullied him into doing this if he didn't want to do it!"

"Why shouldn't I? Besides, you did too!"

Blue had no defense for her involvement in getting Red to join them. Her eyes fell to her feet, ashamed to look at the world around her. "I guess I got caught up in the excitement of all three of us doing this together..."

Green sighed, understanding her side to wanting Red in on this. However, Green needed to know why Red is so apathetic to Pokemon Training. All he knew was that Red's father was a decent Trainer who took a break when he fathered Red then went back out when the kid was about five. Though, something happened that even his own grandfather refused to comment on.

Though Blue knows something, thanks to her gossipy mom.

"What's so touchy about the subject of his dad and Pokemon Training? I never understood what happened; Red would never talk about him."

"... Mr. Satoshi died when he returned to his Pokemon Training." Green was floored, his face drained of all color when he realized what he did.

"... god dammit, _now_ you tell me."

-( | )-

_My father was a Pokemon Trainer before I was born. Not really an ace, but not a failure as one either. He just seemingly took his time on his journey. I think the Pokemon League Circuit wasn't his thing, so he didn't get pressured to race around the country for the final competition. From what mom told me, she became pregnant with me near the end of one of his rotations of Kanto which caused him to take his leave of training for awhile. He stayed with us until I was about five or so I think before resuming his career. He kept contact for a brief while until his messages just suddenly stopped._

_Days of silence turned to weeks, weeks to months, and months to years. It was commonly accepted that his disappearance meant his death as no one had information on him. I used to want to be like him, but with him just... gone... my desire went with it. I guess his disappearance killed any allure Pokemon Training had for me. I don't blame the profession for his death; we all knew it's a dangerous life. I guess I lost faith in the idea._

_What I don't get is this: when I decided to test to shut Blue and Green up, my mom never protested. She was happy for it. Why? And why did she never grieve for dad?_

"Oh, welcome home Red!" called the loving voice of the brunette woman from the quaint kitchen. Red kicked off his sneakers and walked through the den of their small little Pallet Town home. It was nothing extravagant, but his mom's tenacity in keeping the house clean and orderly made it appear more luxurious than the furnishings themselves did. Even Red's mom with her simplistic appearance gave the aura of someone well off than they really were. Mrs. Satoshi just had your typical mom look, her chocolate hair falling simply to the curve of her back. She was always seen in an apron covering her choice of blouse + skirt of the day, pretty much the stereotypical mother image. Yet, Mrs. Satoshi pulled the look off while not seeming like the stereotype.

"Hey mom." Red replied sullenly before taking a dive into the couch sitting in front of the television. Mrs. Satoshi poked her head from around the dividing way to she her son crash in a depressive mess. It was a rare occurrence for Red to act this way, very rare.

"What's the matter hun?" She asked as all concerned mothers would. She took his hat off and ruffled his black hair, a sign of motherly affection. "Did the test go poorly?"

"Nah... I passed it." The son flipped the I.D. card out of his wallet lazily to show his proof as an official Trainer.

"That's wonderful!" She clapped her hands together joyously, but her son did not share the same enthusiasm as she did. "So what's the matter then?"

Red bit into his lip, feelings of confronting her on dwelling thoughts started to well up. With Green's reminder of his father and confusion of past years, Red needed to get this out of his head. It drove him crazy that only he seemed to be affected by his father. "Why aren't you stopping me?"

His mom reeled back slightly, unsure of what Red's words meant. "I don't... understand..."

"Why aren't you stopping me from doing what killed dad!" Red exploded, another rare instance as he always kept his head. "Why are you letting me do this!"

Mrs. Satoshi paused for a moment and collected herself. A smile flashed across her ruby colored lips and motherly wisdom glittered in her scarlet eyes. "I see what this is about." She sat on what little couch was free from her sprawling son. "Why should I stop you? I have no ill will towards Pokemon or Training."

"... it's what took dad from us... it took him from you." Red struggled to fight back against welling emotions raging within him. He buried his face into the cushions to hide his betraying face.

"So, finally blaming something for your father disappearing… that's perfectly natural, hun. I was getting worried that you were holding yourself back from expressing yourself." Red's mom put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and nudged him affectionately. "Let me tell you something about your father – he was just like you when he was your age."

"... you knew him since he was fourteen?" Red pried himself from the cushion to look at her.

"Longer actually, we practically grew up in the same house together." Her smile was still there and only grew wider as she saw Red was hooked on to what she was saying. "We always spent time together whenever we could. I remember how much of a wet blanket he was... just like you!" She laughed, knowing she got under Red's skin.

"I'm not a wet blanket..."

"Yes you are, hun. You need to learn to live it up a little. Anyway, you're father was just the same until the day he became a Pokemon Trainer."

"Why did he become one?"

"He actually had no desire to become one in the first place. I nagged him to do so until he finally caved in and took the test."

"Wait... why did you want him to become one?" Mrs. Satoshi's face went blank as Red asked the right question to pry out a dirty secret of sorts. Oh well. Might as well tell her son everything.

"... I wanted him to catch a cute Pokemon for me." Red's gaze crashed in disbelief and glared at his mom for such a simple and dumb reason. "I know, selfish of me, but girls are allowed to be. Remember that Red."

"Sure..." Red grumbled still in dumbstruck awe at female selfishness. "Anyway, you said dad changed."

"He sure did," nodded Mrs. Satoshi confidently. "Right when he got his starter. You should've seen him Red. His eyes widened with pure, overflowing joy, you could tell he was ready to burst from the seams. When he embraced his Pokemon, you could feel that your father was born anew. People say Pokemon have the power to change them and seeing that was proof to the claim."

"Green and Blue said the same thing about Pokemon when they bugged me to do this." Red recalled the line from the several hundred reasons they threw at him to take the licensing test.

"They are right and like I said, seeing your father was proof of that. Your father fell in love with Pokemon and could not wait to go out on his journey. But before he left, he promised to marry me as I was the one who pushed him to start his dream job."

"He... really felt like that? That's how you guys decided to get married?"

"Indeed."

"That's... actually nice."

Mrs. Satoshi laughed modestly and let another smile slip from her lips. "It's not easy supporting a Trainer on his journey especially when his visits back home were few and far between. We kept contact through the PokeGear and messages he sent by flying Pokemon when he had no service. Every now and then he'd return home and one visit a few years into his career, I became pregnant with you."

"That's when he took the break to care for you, right?"

"Yep. He stayed around for the five years after you were born to make sure we were well off. Once you were set in school and I was able to work while you were out, he decided to return to his Training to earn better money than the part-time jobs he took here."

"Then he disappeared." Red watched his mom sigh; she knew this part would eventually come up.

"Yes... his messages just stopped one day. So much time passed and I asked Professor Oak and other Trainers if they had any information on him. They knew nothing. It was as if he vanished without a trace."

"He was then proclaimed dead after the search was called off."

"Yes." Mrs. Satoshi paused for the moment and the memories of those times came back to her. However, she held firm, refusing to break. "I carried on though, if I had the strength to carry on while he was away, I could handle his disappearance."

"... you're pretty strong for that mom." Red was amazed at the woman's tenacity to remain focused and calm. He knew if he had been in her place, he'd break.

"I had to be." Pride leaked into her voice, proving that she was still strong as ever. "It's what happens when you love a Trainer."

"What do you think happened to him?"

Mrs. Satoshi took the moment to think, looking deep within herself to find the right answers. Two came up and she wasn't going to lie about either. "Common sense says he's dead, optimism says he's still out there."

"What if we had proof he died, what then?"

"... I still wouldn't feel sad. Actually, I'd be grateful that he died while doing the one thing in the world that made him the happiest." Her stable voice and body language floored Red. This woman would still remain strong even with the worst case scenario. "Your father loved Pokemon more than anything in the world, probably even more than me. There was no question that he was truly alive when he was out on his journey. I can't be sad if he died doing what he loved most."

Red remained completely shocked at his mother's conviction. Was Pokemon Training the one thing that truly set his father off? Did his mom really fully support him? Can she really be that alright with his disappearance?

"I wanted you to also be a Trainer, Red." His mom broke him out of his shock one last time to finally explain her acceptance to his test. "I know you don't remember your father too well, but if you followed his footsteps then maybe you'd come to understand the man he was. I want you to experience what he did, the joy he felt, the thrill of adventure, and the knowledge the journey will bring to you. I want you to be alive."

"But mom... I could die as well..."

"I'm not worried, you're our son." Mrs. Satoshi smiled warmly and reached out to embrace her son. "You're intelligent and capable. You'll have Blue and Green by your side. Most importantly, you'll have my faith and love Red."

"... do you really believe I can do this?"

"Yes."

_This was a lot to take in. I learned about the relationship my parents had, the man my father was and what he became to be. I used to be convinced that he met his demise on his journey. Somehow, I can't buy it anymore. I know my mom is being strong and while she acknowledges to likely possibility dad did die, I get the feeling she's still holding on to the hope that he's still out there. That's probably rubbing off on me now._

_Then there's what my future holds. This journey will put me on the same path my father was on. Will I learn about him? Will I feel the way he did when I get my starter? Will I find him? Maybe, maybe not. All I know is one thing now: I feel hopeful and willing._

"I'm gonna do it mom. I'm going to be a Pokemon Trainer."

-( | )-

**Author's Final Thoughts****: There you have it, the first chapter of Color Blind. As you all can obviously see, this is a rather loose adaptation of the Pokemon games. You can expect some things to be twisted around for narrative convenience and stuff that never occurred in the games as well. Can't have this turning into "why read this if I can just play the game?"**

**I give out my sincerest thanks to everyone taking the time to read this. I hope you enjoy and look forward to future installments! **


	2. Act One: Chapter Two

**Act One: Dream Job**

**Chapter Two: I Choose You!**

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_There a very few things that I hate in the world. One of them would be Green when he starts acting like a douche, which is frequently. Another thing is brussel sprouts, they smell and taste god awful... like death and despair that happened to die again and coated with pain. The only other relevant thing at the moment is mornings. I hate waking up early and both Green and Blue tell me that it would be a reoccurring thing if I were to take this Training job seriously. Wonderful..._

The lively ringing and vibrations of the PokeGear roused Red from his slumber. The annoying wristwatch/cell phone device continued to dance on the nightstand before it ran out of woodwork and fell to the floor. Of course, the irksome little device proceeded with its tribal dance until Red would cave in and reach for it. Unlike Green, who probably would just hang up and go back to sleep, Red took the high route and answered the call.

"Shh-ello?" slurred the boy, obviously not ready to get up and go with this.

"Rise and shine Reddy, it's the big day!" called out the perky voice of Blue. Nice to hear that she was awake at... five in the morning!? Why the hell is she up this early!?

"Are you real?" Red grumbled as he lazily threw his legs out of bed to sit somewhat properly. "Our meeting is at seven, why are you up now?"

"Figured we could go there together." Blue replied honestly. "And we all know that you need to take the time to apply your make up. Anyway, I'm outside your house, so hurry your butt up!" She hung up, leaving Red to get himself in gear.

He couldn't believe it though; she was awake, all set, and waiting for him outside? Blue was obviously up even earlier than five! She was a freak. How can people do this? Is this the garbage Red had to put up with in this gig? Was it too late to quit now?

Swallowing his irritation, Red forced his tired body out of bed and rummaged through his drawers for clothes. His body cried out in retaliation at the sudden movements, but his mind told it to man up. The boy grabbed his usual attire: jeans, black t-shirt, and his favorite jacket and hat. They all got thrown on without care but in a timely fashion that Red was accustomed to: three minutes.

"I'm never late for appointments but I can easily wait to the last minute to get ready." He grumbled to himself as he searched for his wallet and license from yesterday's pair of jeans. "Why does Blue have to drag me out... I want to sleep some more."

Whining aside, Red found himself ready in less than ten minutes, leaving him an hour and fifty minutes left to make his appointment with the leading Pokemon researcher. Tack on ten to fifteen minutes to walk to the laboratory; Red still had plenty of time left. _God, kill me now._

Figuring his mother was still asleep; Red opted to quietly sneak out to avoid disturbing her. He ventured though the home, awkwardly moving to avoid the sections where the wood flooring creaked. Red took the pit stop at the bathroom to brush his teeth to at least not have morning breath and accommodate the possibility he wouldn't end up back home for awhile. Once that menial task was complete, he moved like an idiot again to get to the front door. He quickly slipped on his sneakers and opened the door slowly to avoid it squealing on aged hinges.

Behind the door was a beaming Blue, mockingly awake and brisk compared to the still dead tired Red. "Mornin' lazy." she whispered with a wide smile. The desire to tell her to burn a horrible death for waking him up at this ungodly hour was a torturous thing to fight against.

"Morning." grunted Red, opting to take the higher road and not be a douche/Green to Blue. He locked and closed the front door before the two moved away from the house. "You always up this early in the morning?"

"Only for special morning occasions." Blue replied, now able to speak normally without the worry of disturbing anyone. She flashed two paper bags and coffee cups labeled with a Mr. Mime caricature and the logo _Donut Mime_. "Up for breakfast?"

"Nice, thanks." Red retrieved his respective bag and cup. He peeked into the bag to see two chocolate éclairs and the cup emanated the aroma of hazelnut. "Sweet, my favorites. My morning won't be as painful anymore."

"I figured this would be good enough as an apology for dragging you out of bed." Blue proclaimed. She fished out a glazed bowtie out of her bag and took a modest bite. She took the moment to savor it and politely finish the bite. "I know how to take care of you."

"Yesh... allfh ifh forghivhen..." snarled Red as he viciously tore through his first éclair. The boy was certainly hungry if he was going to ignore common manners in front of her. Blue could only giggle at his boyishness as he devoured the éclair and chugged his coffee. "Ah, needed that. Anyway, where's Green?"

"I think he's either still asleep or already with his grandpa." Blue watched was Red moved to murder his second éclair. "I figured I wouldn't grab him after... well, you know."

"Mah, don't worry about it." Red said casually, as if the incident didn't happen. Blue tilted her head at Red's indifference to the incident yesterday. Usually if Green was a complete asshole to Red, Red would be still angry, albeit passively, but still angry. "He had a point that I figured out a little later."

"... about your father?"

"Yep, figured out that I should see what my dad saw." Blue was astounded; she had figured Green had killed what little interest Red had left in Pokemon Training. Now it was the contrary as he showed more interest in the job. "Course... my mom made it a little more clearly, so the epiphany wasn't completely just my doing."

"Still... I was a bit worried you were going to quit before we even started."

"That's why you woke me up this early?" Red nailed her initial reasoning for coming out this early with a food offering on top.

"...kinda." Blue ducked away bashfully, embarrassed to admit the actual pretext of her actions. "I... kind of... lost sleep over it. I wanted all of us to do this together and after yesterday... well, I though Green killed this for you... I kind of panicked... I just-" She dared to take a glance at Red, wondering what he was thinking about this.

"I wouldn't worry about it anymore." Red interrupted softly. A slight smirk escaped from his lips that froze Blue in her steps. "I told you guys I was going to take this seriously regardless; mostly to shut Green up. But, I'm still in this for the long run and a bit more willing to do so." He paused for a moment before his smirked turned to a brief, but warm smile. "Though, thanks for the concern."

Blue pulled her sunhat over her face to cover the growing blush on her face. She felt stupid for worrying about nothing now. How was she to know Red would pull a 180 and start showing interest after Green was a careless jerkoff? And Red smiling and thanking her? That was a rare privilege to behold for a select few and she got to experience it.

"Uh.. sure thing." Was all she could manage. She retreated to drink her coffee to mask her inability to speak at the moment. At least it would allow her to calm down and recollect herself. It was too early for pleasant, but completely unexpected surprises for her.

"Besides, I feel like using yesterday as a way to get something out of Green." Red chuckled with slight malice behind his laugh. Blue almost gagged on her coffee, worried for a legit reason this time.

"D-don't start a fight with him!"

"Nah, nothing like that. It'll still piss him off a little, but I'm avoiding a fist fight."

"I hope so... I know how you boys get."

"Yes-yes... mom."

"Don't call me that!"

-( | )-

The sun finally rose as the two killed enough time until Red and Blue decided to make their way to the Pokemon Research Center. The mammoth building stuck out like a sore thumb in comparison to the modest houses that dotted the little town. Most people used it as their compass, since it can be seen from nearly anywhere. The duo noticed Green was waiting outside the building, leaning against one of the lamp posts that lined the main walkway. He looked up from whatever reverie he was in to see the two approaching.

"Oh, hey guys." He greeted sullenly while he tried to avoid direct eye contact with Red. Blue could immediately tell Green still felt awful about yesterday. No surprise, she did tear him a new one about it. She did wonder what Red was feeling right now. Saying he's alright and actually dealing with the problem at hand are two different things. The two replied with their greetings before Blue made her moves to try to smooth things over between the two boys.

"Your grandpa isn't in yet?" asked Blue, prepped with a topic to ease them into conversation.

Green shook his head. "He is, but Gramps is still doing the final preparations for us." He glanced at Red who seemed to be in his own world at the moment. "We still have some time before our appointment." Green clammed up and silence hung around them like a suffocating miasma.

"I see..." Blue sighed, things were not proceeding as she liked. She had to draw this out more to get them to talk to each other. Or, at least, not act like a feuding couple. Unfortunately, she had no idea what else to say to try to ease the two back together. They all remained silent for a good fifteen minutes before Blue grew impatient. May as well just force these two to stop being children. "Green... do you want to say anything to Red?"

Green snapped at attention at her comment and her accusing glare that bore into him. Blue figured he got the message now.

"Y-yeah... Hey Red..." Green spoke up, fearing that Blue may destroy him in a fit of womanly rage. "I uh... sorry about... yesterday's stuff..." He stumbled around with the apology, but there was sincerity in his voice unlike the other forced apologies Blue had made him do in the past.

"It's not like you to apologize." Red noted flatly and shot a slight glare at Blue. "Besides having Blue force you to do so." He let out a single, soft laugh to ease the tension around them all. "Don't worry about it though. You had a somewhat valid reason behind it, despite being an ass about it."

Green sighed heavily in massive relief. He got off the lamp post and stood like a heavy weight was just lifted from his shoulders. "Well then, that feels so much better now. You don't know how much it sucked to constantly feel like shit, especially after Blue's parental scolding."

"Someone needs to keep you in line once and a while." griped Blue. "One day you're going to offend a guy that will shank you."

"You mean like Cobalt? He might shank me."

"Be nice... Cobalt's... special..."

Red knew precisely who the two were talking about. Cobalt was a, for lack of a better term, minor friend to them. Both Red and Green shared the same sentiment that the guy was creepy; however Blue was willing to give the guy a chance. That chance led to awkward moments of hanging with a guy with social graces below that of the introverted Red and obnoxious Green. Cobalt was just weird and gave the feeling that something dark lurked within him. If Red was correct, he also got his license and already has his starter... speaking of which...

"Green, you know what the starters your grandpa has for us?" Green gaped in wild eyed wonder at Red then turned to Blue to see if he heard right. She nodded, confirming Green wasn't crazy.

"Guess you weren't kidding when you said I had a point – urk!" Green groaned as Blue gave him a punch to the side; a warning that he was becoming too much of a douche again. "All right, sorry! Anyway, I'm not too sure. I know it's not Eevees, since that was last year's starter set. Sorry man."

"Meh, no problem." Red shrugged and remained quiet for a short while... until a devious idea popped into his head. "Anyway, I know how you can make up for yesterday to me."

"Sure, anything man." Green agreed energetically. He was willing to wipe the slate clean and get Blue off his case.

"Let me have first pick." Green stared at Red flatly as if he heard the boy said that his wallet tasted good. When he figured that Red meant what he said, Green took a deep breath...

And exploded.

"... WHAT!? Hell no you cheater!" His shout echoed through town, just so everyone could hear how pissed he was.

"You did say you would do anything."

"Fuck that! I'd rather drink Grimer piss than let you have first pick. I'd rather suck your dick than let you have first pick! Wait... scratch that."

"Green..." Blue was seething with growing fury. Fire was in her eyes as she was ready to murder Green. Green cowered back slightly, literally feeling her rage weigh down on him. He knew it would be a losing battle to test her wrath.

"... fine." He sighed with defeat. Red simply nodded and smirked. "But I get second pick!"

"Oh, so I get the poor Pokemon you guys heartlessly reject?"

"Your punishment for meddling in all this." At least Green was able to get back at Blue for treating him like crap. Everyone got satisfaction today!

"You kids... keep yelling like that and you'll wake the dead." The trio turned to the laboratory doorway to see a middle-aged man with clean cut hair and a lab coat.

"Gramps!" Green whooped as he ran up to give his grandfather an excited hug. "Are they ready!? Are they ready!? Are they ready!?" He was overflowing with anticipation for the big moment. His grandfather, however, looked like Green was about to kill him.

"Hmph, relax Green." The man grunted as he pried Green's bear hug from his waist. Even though Green nearly snapped his back in two, the man still held a warm smile and exuded an aurora of a wise and loving man. "Just to make you stop bouncing like a sugar-high child: yes, they are ready. However, let me first meet your friends." His attention trailed to Blue first, recognizing her immediately. He greeted her with a familiar pat on the shoulder and a warm smile. "Ah Blue, someone's growing into a lovely lady."

"Heh, nice to see you again too, Professor Oak!" Blue beamed with a slight blush from the compliment. Red figured the two must have met before. So now he knew what Oak looked like... Red figured he'd have crazier hair.

Oak turned to the unfamiliar boy and gave him a brief glance over before holding out his hand. "You must be Red Satoshi. Green talks about you quite frequently. I am Professor Samuel Oak, head of the Pokemon Research Organization and the lead of the Kanto branch."

Red took Oak's hand and shook it firmly. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you sir." Oak grinned as he held his hand, like he just figured out something. Red looked unsure of what was going on. Did he do something weird or offend the professor? Great, not even two minutes in and he screwed things up.

"I know this handshake; your father gave me the same exact one."

"You knew my father?"

"Of course, he was part of an earlier set of Trainers I had set off into the world before I became Head Researcher. Ah, I was such a nervous man back then. Always thought I would mess something up, like giving a Trainer an empty Pokeball as a starter. Thankfully, that never happened. Worse I've done was forget to give someone a Pokedex during my first round in teaching Trainers. I chased her all the way to Viridian City to give it to her. Good times."

"And that's how he met Grandma." Green interjected blandly. He heard this story a million times. Oak would go on forever if Green didn't put a stop to it.

"Ha-ha, indeed it was." Oak laughed heartily. "She claimed she fell for my clumsiness. I still say that it was my charm. Ah... I was such a lady killer back in my prime... I even -"

"Gramps... our starters."

"Ah right, no time to reminisce! You three must be eager to meet your partners! Come, follow me."

Oak led the three teens into the laboratory. When the three crossed the doorway, they could all swear something shifted in them. Life just changed for them.

_I'm sure the others felt it like I did. When we stepped through that door it was like we stepped into another world. Something shifted in me at that very moment. It was that feeling you get in your gut when something major just happened, but your mind didn't know what it was. Was this feeling what Green eluded to when he said Pokemon Training was a whole different world? Did Dad feel this way when he stepped through that door?_

_My heart was racing. My mind was spinning. I could barely focus on what Professor Oak was telling us about the journey we were to embark on. He spoke of the faces we would meet, the places we go to, the dangers we would throw ourselves into. _

_Danger. Oak was not discreet about that topic. He made it very clear that we would be going on a very dangerous trek and survival would be a top priority. The elements and wild Pokemon could pose a very fatal threat to our lives. _

_Tell me this before I walked in through that door, I would've quit. Now, I acknowledge it and would gladly defy it. Maybe experiencing it firsthand would explain what happened to Dad._

_Oak continued on that we would have nothing to fear if we place our trust, respect, and love into the allies we meet along the way. That included Pokemon. The partner we were about to receive would teach us the starting foundations of training and bonding with these creatures. The way he spoke was passionate, like Green. The flair of his language entranced you and filled you with confidence and belief in his words._

_I want it now. I want to meet my partner._

"Well now, that is the end of my explanation that the Academy fails to give to aspiring Trainers." Oak brought the teens to a circular table with three red and white spheres on it. Pokeballs, the capsules meant for capturing and containing Pokemon. These three had the creatures eager to meet their new partners. Did they feel the same anxiety as Red did? "Before I allow you to pick your partner, I give you this final option: knowing what this journey can offer, the highest peaks of success and lowest depths of defeat, do you three wish to continue?"

"You know I'm all in Gramps!"

"I'm right behind you guys all the way!"

Red was silent, contemplating this decision in his fate. One final chance to turn back and live a simple and safe life. Oak, Green, and Blue sensed his hesitation. Blue tugged on his jacket sleeve.

"Red... don't push yourself if you don't want to do this."

"Dude, I know I pushed you into this. I understand the stuff with your dad may be worrying you."

Red shook Blue off and made his way to the table. He held his hand over the three capsules, as if he was trying to see if they would react to him.

"Son, are you sure you want to do this?" Oak spoke up. With Green and Blue sharing concern that Red had doubts, Oak realized that Red may not have the full heart to go through with this. "There is no shame in realizing this life may not be for you and turning back. Many have done it before."

While the three were trying to console him, their words were not reaching Red's mind. Red was seeking the answer from the three creatures before him. His hand hovered from one Pokeball to the other, trying to see if one would react in some way to him. He did feel silly for doing this. It was like trying to find the Holy Grail amongst dozens of other cups. These were simple capsules and who knows if the Pokemon had any awareness outside of them.

As his hand hovered over one, he felt an intense energy coming from it. Red pulled away. He had to have imagined that. He brought his hand back over to the ball and the energy rushed back from it. It was reacting to Red. He grasped the capsule firmly, feeling it actually move slightly.

_Do you want to be my partner?_ The ball surged as if it could read Red's mind. The boy nodded, his fate was decided.

"Very well, I choose you!" Red pressed the button on the face of the ball and watched it explode with a brilliant light.

-( | )-

**Author's Note: Well, now this took forever to get out. My deepest apologies for the lengthy delay. Many things came into play here: college + a full time job, my curse with I HATE second chapters (led to five rewrites), and general laziness. Well, with the coming of Black and White 2, I feel re energized to write this. Enough making excuses, let's talk about my thought process here:**

**As you can see so far by these two chapters, the story is following R/B/Y very loosely. Why? Well we've all played the games, watched the anime, probably read the Pokemon Special/Adventure manga, and read other fanfics of the games. **

**So, I'm in a tough spot of trying to avoid similarities while trying to be faithful to the games in my own way. So I added extra plot points like Red's father and the building of the relationship of the three Trainers. That also brought about the slow release of this chapter. That and I wanted to jam MORE into this chapter. That ended up becoming very overwhelming, despite my desire to have Red's starter actually appear. Instead, I gave you this annoying cliffhanger. Sorry.**

**As you see, I've tweaked/added a lot of things that didn't occur in the game. The major "tweak" was the relationship of Red/Blue and Green. In the game, it's either Red or Blue, not both and Green making appearances here and there. I wanted to give the three a more intertwined relationship that I planted a few seeds here and there to start off with. The biggest change is Green. Green in the games was a jackass through and through, barely any redeeming qualities to him. I wanted Green to be a jerk like he is, but tone it done to the level that he's a jerk, but you would still hang out with him and rely on him when need be and be pissed off at him when he screws up. It's obvious these three are friends and would trust each other with their lives.**

**So, enough of that. Stick around as I try to churn out Chapter 3 in a more timely fashion.**

**~Zero**


	3. Act One: Chapter Three

**Act One: Dream Job**

**Chapter Three: Partners and Promises**

"_People say Pokemon have the power to change them and seeing that was proof to the claim." Watching the Pokeball explode to unveil my new partner was affirmation that Pokemon do indeed cause a change in a human being. I knew I was gawking in wild eyed wonder at the creature before me. This creature would be my partner to the very end. It will always be by my side through thick and thin. At least I would hope so. _

_Still, I felt an immense elation when I looked at this creature. Was this the feeling Dad had? Something clicked within me. Everything suddenly just fell right into place and made me feel that **this** was **it**. It was the realization that this was my calling. I wanted to be part of the Pokemon World._

_I **needed** to be part of it._

Red stared into the blue eyes of the creature that stared curiously back at him. As Red moved about to inspect the creature, it imitated his movements. Red leaned to the left; the creature mirrored and leaned with him. Red craned his neck, the creature did the same. The boy found a sense of wonderment in this simple interaction of monkey see, monkey do. This creature was definitely an amazing thing to behold. It moved like an innocent child learning about something mysterious that stood before it. Red slowly and cautiously held out his hand in a daring attempt to greet the creature with touch and establish the first stages of a bond.

"M-my name is Red..." He said quietly, trying to suppress the growing emotions that dared to burst. Red held his excitement at bay, not wanting to frighten the creature. "I... I-I'm your new partner." The creature cowered slightly away. A slight whimper came from the creature. Red sensed its unease, but didn't pull his hand away. "I won't hurt you..."

The creature slowly eased forward and brought its nose to Red's hand. It watched the hand for any threatening movements and took a few sniffs of it. Pausing for a moment, the creature built up some courage to nuzzle against the hand. Red smiled and let out a relieved chuckle. Glad that the creature built some trust in him, the boy gently stroked the creature's slightly smooth and scaled hide.

"Chaaarrr..." The creature crooned softly. It nuzzled more vigorously against Red's hand, now seeming to trust the Trainer further.

"There's nothing more beautiful than the first time a Trainer meets his partner." Oak said proudly, moved by the two's initial bonding. "This Pokemon is a Charmander, a fire type lizard Pokemon. This one seems to be a little skittish, but she's starting to trust you."

"She?" Red asked dumbfounded on how to tell the gender on this creature. It was just a bipedal, faded orange lizard with a flame lit on its tail. Was there something he was missing from just looking at the Charmander?

"A female Charmander tends to be a duller orange color than males as well as slightly taller and thinner." Interjected Green smugly, showing off his Pokemon knowledge. "Someone didn't pay attention to the 'Standard of Identifying Pokemon' lesson because that's standard know-how, ya dolt."

"Ease off Green!" Blue snapped at him, trying to bring him in line again. "Even I couldn't remember that."

"C'mon! You guys need to know this stuff if we're gonna be serious Trainers!" retorted Green. "If Red can't figure out what junk his Charmander's equipped with, he's gonna have some awkward breeding attempts should he indulge in that!"

"Maybe when you could figure out what junk you're equipped with." Blue smirked smugly, knowing exactly what to say to strike at Green's ego and shut him up. "Then you won't have awkward breeding attempts."

"Ow... my pride." A pout escaped from Green's lips, he knew when not to prod a raging Blue. Maybe if he had his Pokemon, he could finally win a fight against her.

"Kids, behave yourself or no Pokemon." grumbled Oak. He massaged his temple, trying to ease a minor headache arising from bickering teens. He wondered if he was getting too old for this; kids were getting more and more excitable every year. At his request, both Green and Blue let out a huff and dropped the childish feud. "Much better. Now, who will pick next."

"Yo." Green flashed a winning grin and waved two fingers in a quick, suave gesture. Oak raised an eyebrow at him, both at the odd gesture and at another matter.

"Not being a gentleman and letting Blue decide first?"

Blue waved her hand to clear up Oak's concern. "Don't worry Professor, this was actually the order we agreed upon."

Satisfied that the children had been in agreement, Oak presented the two remaining Pokeballs to his grandson. "Very well then. Green, choose your Pokemon wisely."

Green snatched the left Pokeball suddenly, contrasting Red's manner in feeling out the capsules in some "third-eye" manner. "I've been eying this one since you showed these to us." He said confidently. Green turned to Red and bore a smug grin to his friend. "I was worried you'd pick this one Red, cuz this one feels like a winner! Let's meet my partner! GO!" Green pressed the button on the ball and dropped it to the floor. Like Red's, the ball exploded in a brilliant flash of light. The light quickly subsided to reveal the creature contained from within.

"Squirt!" the creature let out a short, but rather tough sounding call. It was a light blue, bipedal turtle that stood in contrast to Red's Charmander. The creature crossed its arms across its small chest and stood almost like a bouncer of a bar. This creature was a proud one and wanted everyone to know it was strong.

"Well, whaddaya know, I got Squirtle!" Green whooped as he knelt beside his new partner. He patted the Squirtle on its round head proudly. "So champ-in-the-making, want to reach for the top with me?" The Squirtle eyed the spiky haired boy to see if he was serious about this proclamation. Green wore a smug grin and a massive air of confidence. Satisfied that the boy wasn't blowing hot air, the Pokemon let out a short, confident grunt and held out a hand for Green. Enthusiastically, Green gave the Squirtle a fist-bump to finalize his bond with the creature. "I love that moxie!"

"Looks like you appeal to your Squirtle's desire to become strong." Oak mused aloud as he watched the two get along. "I'm glad you and Red bonded so quickly to your partners." The Professor claimed the last Pokeball he had and held it out for Blue. "And I hope you can do the same with this last one."

Blue took the capsule with both hands and held it close to her. A sweet smile broke from her lips as she took the moment to appreciate what she held. "I'm sure you and I will be inseparable friends. I can't wait to meet you!" Like her friends before her, Blue set the ball on the floor and pressed the button. Like the two times before, the Pokeball released the creature in its trademark light spectacle.

The light cleared as before, but not before an aroma akin to a fresh young flower filled the room. The scent emanated from the creature that the capsule held. Unlike the Charmander and Squirtle, this green, dark spotted dinosaur-like creature stood on all fours. It made sense for this creature to do so, unlike Charmander with its flame tipped tail and Squirtle balanced with its shell, this creature had a bud on its back to carry as a load.

"Buuuuulllbaaa~" yawned the creature lazily. It moved about slowly, yet there was almost a sense of hidden calculations with each gesture. At a quick glance, this creature seemed lazy, but Blue saw that its eyes were taking everything into careful consideration. It was taking in its surroundings with a precise eye but not leaving any weak openings in its stance. The girl crawled to the creature's side and placed a reassuring hand on the bud.

"You're Bulbasaur, aren't you?" Blue asked gently, making sure her intentions were clear to the analytical eyes of Bulbasaur. "I'm Blue, your new partner." The creature remained still for a few moments and just watched the girl for anything threatening. Blue kept an equally careful eye on the Bulbasaur too. Their eyes remained locked for a good while as they both sized each other up. The moment seemed to last for eternity when Bulbasaur finally broke the gaze and nuzzled against Blue's leg.

"Bulba!" It growled happily. Its demeanor changed greatly as it seemed to exude more energy from its cautious state. Blue giggled, returning the same energy to the creature that accepted her.

The three newly christened Trainers took some time to bond with their partners before Oak clapped his hands to refocus their attention. The Trainers along with their respective Pokemon turned to face the Professor. Oak cleared his throat to prepare the teens for the next step they will take.

"You all flawlessly established your first bond with your partner." He said with rather grandiose flair and energy. He turned to his desk for a brief moment to fish out three red devices that looked like far superior versions of smartphones. "As you set out on your journey, you will meet new Pokemon along the way. Some will become your new friends; some will challenge you to greater heights. I know I told you this as we entered, however I feel that these words hold new meaning after you just met your partners." The three nodded in unison as the words struck even deeper within them. Oak smiled warmly as he witnessed the spark in their eyes, the spark of will and great potential.

These three were going to embark on an unprecedented journey. The Professor handed each of them the red devices before continuing his speech. "As Pokemon Trainers, you are free to pave the way to your destiny as you see fit. You may choose to become a career Battler or maybe a Breeder. Your future is yours to decide, although life is never a walk in the park. You'll need to work to make a living to buy the supplies and necessities to live healthy and successful lives. That is where that device I handed you comes into play.

"The Pokedex is an electronic device made to aid each Trainer on his or her journey. You can catalog and organize your assets and Pokemon through it. It will aid you in taking care of your Pokemon to become a manageable task. However-" Oak raised a finger as the tone of his voice grew more serious. "The Pokedex's main function is a Pokemon Encyclopedia. It constantly monitors all actions Pokemon take within a certain range and uploads any new data to the Pokemon Information Network. The PIN will then organize and compile the data for anyone to call up to educate themselves on Pokemon. This function is essential to aid humans in understanding the infinite mysteries of these creatures bit by bit. Any new information a Trainer provides with their Pokedex is reimbursed with pay, thus making constant interaction with Pokemon your utmost responsibility. Battling, breeding, and even just spending time with Pokemon will provide information to the PIN. In short, just do as you will as a Pokemon Trainer and you will be paid for your services to the PIN."

"Excuse me for interrupting, but how much power does this thing hold until the batteries die?" Red questioned as he fiddled around with his Pokedex.

"Good question Red, many Trainers forget to ask that before they start." Oak admitted frankly. "The Pokedex runs on a dual power setup: two internal batteries that operate independently. Each battery holds a 72 hour charge while running completely off it. However, most of the time the Pokedex only uses 40% of the battery when only scanning and transmitting data in sleep mode. It's when in active use it starts to use more of the batteries. The design is a technological feat in itself. Not many devices have that kind of energy capacity."

"So we can get at least six days worth of use from this." Blue figured while playing with her own Pokedex. She ended up pulling up a screen showing her Bulbasaur with several meters around it. "This thing's amazing! I can see my Bulbasaur's vitals using this!"

"We charge these things at Pokemon Centers, right?" Green asked after pocketing his device.

"Correct Green." confirmed Oak. "Pokemon Centers will give your Pokemon a medical checkup as well as charge your Pokedex." The Professor grabbed three trays with more Pokeballs on them. "As for my last gift to you three, a set of five empty Pokeballs to use to begin capturing more Pokemon." The three each grabbed a tray from the Professor. "Capturing Pokemon will be the easiest way to start earning your pay as a Pokemon Trainer."

"We're gonna need bags to hold everything." Blue figured as she can barely hold all the stuff she had. Red quietly offered to help hold some of her gear until she figured how to hold everything. "Thanks Red."

"Let's hit my house." Green offered quickly. "My sis said she got us bags, maps and other stuff to start with."

"Great!"

Oak smiled warmly realizing that the kids were ready to take the first steps into their new world. "Well then, this is where I let you kids begin your journey. I wish you all the best of luck!" The teens said their goodbyes to the good Professor and left the laboratory in awed silence. Red's heart would not stop racing wildly, even after leaving the laboratory.

-( | )-

_I had to wonder what the other two were thinking when we left the laboratory. I know I felt almost like a whole different person. When I held Charmander, I felt a euphoria wash over me. I felt electrified. I feel like I can take on the whole world. I want to venture into this new world! I want to see what Charmander can show me. I want to delve into this mysterious world. I want to know what is out there._

_Did Dad really feel this way? Did he really feel this alive? Did he just want to dive head first into this world?_

_Do the other two feel this way?_

"Nicknames." Blue said which seemed random to Red. She snapped him out of his reverie with a midway portion of a conversation she was having with Green. The three were midway down the road to Green's house. Blue and Green prattled on in idle conversation while Red just let his mind wander. He probably should have paid attention to what they talked about, however his mind was on its own wondrous rampage. "Don't Trainers nickname their Pokemon sometimes?"

"Yeah they do." Green confirmed. He stopped by the park the road cut through. "It's done to give a personal attachment between Trainer and Pokemon."

"Think we should do it?" Blue looked at her Bulbasaur following loyally. When they stopped, Bulbasaur's attention turned to the trees that dotted the park. He watched the trees sway with the gentle breeze that blew through the town. "I kind of have one for Bulbasaur."

"Eh, why not? I'm up for it." Green glanced at his Squirtle and noticed the turtle was standing like he was itching for a fight. "How 'bout you Red? Wanna nickname your Charmander?"

"Ember." Red said randomly. The other two stared at him, wondering what that answer meant. Blue noticed Red picked up his Charmander and held her almost like a child. "I think I'll call her Ember."

"Dumbass." Green snorted, tickled by Red's choice of name. "Such a dumb name."

"Why say that!?" yelled Blue, annoyed by Green's rude comment. "I think it's a great name to give her!"

"Ember used Ember." Green smirked as he pointed out the flaw in Red's name choice. "That's gonna be a fun little conundrum when that comes around."

"Do you like it?" Red ignored Green and asked his Charmander about the name choice. The creature cooed and gave her Trainer an affectionate lick to his cheek. She seemed to like it. "Ember it is. So, suck it Green and tell me your crappy name for Squirtle."

"Donatello." A silence hung around them as Blue, Red, and Squirtle took the time to ingest Green's name choice. They were not amused.

"And that doesn't suck?" Blue stuck out her tongue. "Ember is a cute name and fits her. Donatello doesn't fit Squirtle at all!"

"It's not supposed to be cute! It's a tough name!" Green crossed his arms around his chest and pouted. These two never let him have any fun. "Squirtle is a tough Pokemon, a winner! You got a better name for that!?"

"He looks more like a Leonardo to me." Red chimed in without hesitation. Green turned to his Squirtle and notice Squirtle was nodding in acceptance. He mulled over the choices of name and imagined which name would sound right when referring to Squirtle. Green came to the unfortunate conclusion:

"Dammit, you're right." He admitted defeat to that. "Squirtle, you want to be called Leonardo?" His Pokemon grunted positively, accepting his new name. "Alright then, Leonardo it is. Leo for short if we want to go that route. Blue, what're gonna call Bulbasaur?"

"Chrysanthemum." Blue said happily. Her Bulbasaur chimed in with an accepting growl of its own. "It's cute and elegant, just like Bulbasaur!"

Green frowned flatly, reconsidering which of the two rival nicknames was worse. "... I just heard you say that and I still don't know how to pronounce it."

"Too elegant of a name for your simple mind Green?" Blue stuck out a teasing tongue to add playful insult to her quip. "Bulbsaur is a noble little guy, so this fits him. I bet he likes it."

"Saur!" The Bulbaur nodded his approval of the name. Blue beamed that her partner liked the name she chose.

"Fine, I'm just gonna call him Chrys then." muttered Green in another defeat. He looked at the three Pokemon and mulled over the names they gave them. The names seemed like something kids would name their pets. Something bugged him about it. "Our nicknames are kinda kiddy though, aren't they? Reminds me of Daisy's Eevee's name being 'Vee.'"

"Is that a bad thing though?" Blue asked. "Our partners seem to like their names... right?" She felt slightly worried now that her name was actually a bad one. Would her Bulbasaur feel embarrassed to be called that name? Was it just being nice to her about the name?

"They do." Red spoke up to the query. The two turned to him to see the quiet boy coddling his Charmander. "I'm pretty sure they wouldn't care what name you gave them. However, the concept of having a name makes them unique to others of the same species and shows their connection to you."

"... that was pretty profound Red." Blue muttered in amazement. "I started to doubt myself on the name choice to be honest."

"Who are you and what have you done with Red?" Green rose a quizzical eyebrow at the boy he knew to have been apathetic to Pokemon until this morning. Red's change in attitude about Pokemon was astounding... and proved something Green had always been telling him. "Was I right about this job changing your life?"

Red sighed. Of course Green was gonna be tickled that he was finally getting into this. "Unfortunately, you were."

Green did a victory arm pump at that quip. "Hell yeah!"

"So how do you know that they like the names?" asked Blue meekly. "Am I missing something?"

"Well, I'm not entirely sure. We're still fresh newbies to this so I'm winging out this idea." Red pointed out. "But ever since meeting Ember and watching you guys bond with your Pokemon, they've placed their trust in us. In their own way, they swore loyalty in us."

"How do you figure?" quipped Green. "Like, I know they're loyal to us, but you seem to have an epiphany on this."

"We've had them out of their Pokeballs this entire time. They had ample time to abandon us." Blue and Green blinked wildly and noticed that he pointed out something they completely overlooked.

"Sheeeeit, look at Red figuring out the Pokemon game. I'm proud of ya!" Green patted Red on the back, not that Red didn't feel patronized as it is.

"Shove it Green."

"So what about the name thing?" Blue brought up, still unsure of all this. Red cooled off from the irritation and let out a small laugh.

"Simple: It shows we treat them more than a simple Pokemon. Least that's how I figure. They didn't abandon us and stood by the name choices. I think they know we care about them and see them as more than just a Pokemon. Giving them nicknames places further confidence in us. Well, at least if I was a Pokemon, I would see it that way." Blue stared at her Bulbasaur only to be greeted with his own smile. He nudged her leg which seemed to be all she needed to know that Red was right.

"Chrys says you're right Red." She replied as she bent down to give her partner a loving pat on the head. "I guess I'm over thinking things again, just like when I was worried about you wanting to quit this."

"Just believe in yourself Blue." Green chimed in confidently. "If we believe in ourselves, we're all going to be fine Pokemon Trainers."

"Yeah, you're right too Green." Blue sniffled a little and stood back up. She held her arms open to both of them. "Let's all aim for the top! And we'll swear this to each other with a group hug!"

"Uh..." The boys groaned simultaneously and stared at her like she was an idiot. Both of them were not thrilled with the girly idea of group hugging... or touching each other.

"That's... kinda gay..."

"There is no way in hell I'm hugging Green."

"I'm too good for you anyway Red."

"Thanks for making this more awkward."

"You guys both suck."

Despite the childish bickering and the ruined group hug, the three shared in a hearty laugh. The Pokemon watched in awe at the three humans bonding in this fashion, learning more about their partners and how they behave. Their partners seemed to bicker with each other a lot, but it seems in the ultimate end, they respect each other. These three humans have something deeper than the naked eye can see. The three creatures wanted to be a part of that kind of relationship and wanted to learn what makes these humans tick. The Pokemon joined in the fun, adding in their equivalents of a laugh and their desire to follow these three to the very end.

Blue smiled warmly as she noticed the Pokemon join in their odd reverie."Well, seems these guys are on board with aiming for the top! I'll take this over a group hug."

"I'm down with this." Red adjusted his hat and let out a small grin. "Since you guys dragged me into this, I may as well go all in."

"That is if I don't beat you to it!" Declared Green confidently. "I don't intend on losing to you Red. Not this time!" He flicked his hand over to the clearing in the park. "Weeeelll... since we're here, may as well take the first real step to Pokemon Training."

"Real step?" Green smirked slyly at Red's innocent question. "Didn't we take our first step by meeting our partner?" The boy stepped behind his Squirtle and faced Red with a precise glare.

"I said first _real_ step. This park is the perfect place to do so." He said with a rather serious tone in his voice. Green threw out a clenched hand at Red's direction. "Red! I challenge you to our first Pokemon Battle!"

-( | )-

**Author's Notes: And I finally got off my ass to posting this. ^^; Not too much to say about this Chapter other than the PC Versions of Dark Souls and Borderlands 2 got in the way (along with school, but eh). **

**I'm such a procrastinator. =P**


	4. Act One: Battle One

**Act One: Dream Job**

**Battle One: vs. Green**

"_For some people, Pokemon are pets. Others use them for battle..." Green's challenge to a battle immediately brought Oak's words back to my mind. Honestly, I was still contemplating what I wanted to do as a Pokemon Trainer. I had no idea if I wanted to focus on researching them or being a competitor, but at least Green is offering a sample of the battler aspect to Pokemon Training. Well, I figured I'd just try everything and see what clicked with me. Though, I don't know exactly what a Pokemon Battle entails._

"A battle huh?" Red asked as he let the idea bounce around in his head. The only battles he had seen were the ones Green and Blue would drag him to watch on Friday nights. "So we would do like what we watch on TV right?"

"Mm-hmm." Green nodded enthusiastically. "We'd fight until one of our 'Pokes' is unable to continue. Official fights have referees, but ours is unofficial. So, it's up to our discretion for when the fight ends. C'mon, you've watched all those fights with us."

"You thought I paid attention to most of them?" Red had to admit he never fully applied his attention to those fight night shows. Portable video games were a godsend for killing time. But from what he gathered from the short explanation, Pokemon Battles are like boxing. So the goal was to bring the opposition to a knock out.

"Oh right, you were a douche about Pokemon until this morning." Green scoffed with aggravation. "So you gonna be a coward about this or are we gonna battle?" Leo added in his own grunt as if he wanted to try to help coaxing his trainer's rival into a fight.

"Green, think you can try to ask Red nicely for a battle?" groaned Blue as she put a hand to her aching forehead. She started to wonder if Green's arrogance caused physical illness to her. "Y'know, using words like 'please' and 'sorry I'm a gigantic ass at times'."

"Blue... if you weren't a girl, I'd hit you."

"You couldn't hit the side of a Pokemon Center."

"Oh that tears it!"

Red's mind drifted off when the two started to have their spat. Whenever they started, it just cascaded out of control and became something Red preferred to stay out of. He looked to Ember who was still curled up in his arms. She looked to him and cooed softly. Red let out a small smile to his partner before setting her down on the ground. Ember stretched her small arms and legs. She seemed to be getting ready for something and Red knew exactly what it was. "You sure?"

"Char!" The two shared a synchronized nod before Red turned back to his friends who seemed to be engaged in a heated fight of immature insults.

"Alright Green, I'm game." Red snapped the two back at attention. "Unless you two wanted to continue your fight."

"Nah, I'm quite good. I won anyway." Blue snickered.

"Like hell you did." grumbled Green. "Anyway, Red, I can't wait to mop the floor with you. Leo and I will show you that we're going to be the best."

"I'd save the bragging until you actually win." Blue warned. "We still have no idea how capable Red is as a Trainer."

"Geez, hump his leg why don't you?"

"Shove it Green, I have to make up for the lack of positivity you don't give him. Anyway, to make sure you don't cheat, I'll ref this fight." Blue made her way to stand in the center of the field and surveyed the surrounding area. "Alright Green, take your position about five feet from where that sidewalk turns right. Red, you'll stand about ten feet from where those two trees are."

"Fine-fine." Green shrugged as he made his way to the one end of the field Blue marked for him. Leo followed his partner and took a position before him. The Squirtle punched his fists together and smirked confidently. "Looks like Leo is ready for this throw down. Let's make this a good fight Red! Show me what you can do!"

Red turned to Ember and wondered if she was still up to this. Green's Squirtle was rather intimidating for a cute blue creature. Ember looked back at Red with a slight look of worry in her eyes. The boy wondered what she was worried about. Was she frightened by Leo's ruffian behavior or was it the thought of losing the fight? Either way, the boy knew he had to do something for Ember. Red knelt down beside the Charmander and patted her on the head.

"Let's do our best, ok Ember?" Red said calmly. "Win or lose, we'll learn something from this. I'm behind you all the way."

"Charmander!" Ember's eyes lit up as brightly as the flame on her tail. Just having the acknowledgment that Red would support her gave her the much needed confidence to carry their first fight out. Unbeknownst to Red, Ember silently swore that she will make him proud. She took her position and waited for her Trainer to issue his command.

Blue stood at the edge of the impromptu arena of battle to oversee the fight and also keep other people from wandering in. Her Bulbsaur sat lazily beside her with only one eye opened to watch the fight. Blue took in a deep breath before she would let out her best attempt at this announcer gig. "Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! Jerkoffs and gigantic tools!" Chrys was rather impressed on the set of lungs his Trainer had.

"SHOVE IT BLUE!" raged Green as he knew that last bit was directed at him. Blue paid absolutely no heed to him and continued on.

"Today we have a special event in the Newbie Trainer Circuit! Fresh from Professor Oak's labs come two Trainers ready to duke it out in their debut match!" Blue waved her arm towards Green with graceful flair. "In this corner we have the boisterous Green Oak, grandson of our very own Professor Oak! Green chose his gruff Squirtle, Leo, into the fray! Will the little bundle of moxie be the victor in this match!?"

"Damn... this girl can really get into this..." Green mused to himself as he noticed she was actually drawing a small, but growing crowd to spectate the fight.

"Or will victory belong to the Trainer in the other corner." With equal grace and an added wink to her presentation, Blue brought attention to the other competitor in this match. "I present to you the calm before the storm Red Satoshi, whose silent demeanor may hide a relentless force of power! He chose the loyal Charmander, Ember! Will these two silent warriors show that they are a team to be reckoned with!?"

Red pulled his cap down before his face. A small blush tainted his cheeks as he listened to Blue talk him up like he was a legend. "No pressure... I don't have to live up to a bloated description now..."

"Now, the condition of the fight is to force the opposition into submission! It's a one-on-one fight with no timeouts!" Blue raised her hand up high, ready to signal the fight. "Let the battle... BEGIN!" She quickly waved her hand to let the Trainers begin.

"Leo! Let's give them no time to fight back! Tackle her!" Green commanded instantly. The Squirtle bolted with amazing speed. Red watched the creature hunch over to prepare to use the force of its entire body behind the attack. He wondered if he could use this reckless move to his advantage, but he had only a split second to decide.

"Ember, square off your stance and brace for impact!" Ember spread her feet to gain better foundation just as Leo barreled into her. She grabbed him by the shoulders and held firm; yet the force was enough to slide her back in the grassy field.

_So this is a Pokemon Battle? Wow, this is a whole 'nother feeling. Having to be on your toes, making split decisions on the fly... I could get into this._

"Leo, your hands are free! Punch her in the sides to break free!" Green saw the opening in the hold Ember had. Leo's hands remained free while she held his shoulder. The Squirtle held the lizard with one hand and started unleashing rabid blows to her right ribs with the other hand. As his fist bounced along the Charmander's side, the red flesh started to swell and show signs of internal bleeding. Ember cried out in agony which Red needed to respond quickly. He needed to get her away from Leo; he could end up breaking some ribs if he hadn't already! His eyes scanned wildly at the scene to find a breakaway point

"Ember, blindside him with your claws and toss him aside!" Ember let go of a shoulder and slashed the Squirtle across the face with her claws. Fine lines of blood were drawn and the shock of the attack caused Leo to relent just for the moment. Seeing the opening, Ember flipped the turtle aside to the right and rebounded back away from him.

Green felt his heart pounding as he watched the fight unfold before him. This exhilaration was intoxicating to the boy and the challenge Red provided just fed the fire even more. Red was showing a great aptitude to the fight. His adaptation to the situation and ability to think on the fly to Green's offensive was impressive. However, Green wasn't going to back down! This is where he will prove he is better than Red!

"Yes Red! This is what I call a Pokemon Battle!" Green's growing enthusiasm was explosive; this is something that made him feel alive. "Leo, regroup and prepare another charge!" Red raised an eyebrow at the order. Why was Green repeating a command he is prepared for? "Don't adjust your aim! Just do it from there!" Leo growled furiously as he wiped the blood from his face. Within a split second, the turtle bolted again for Ember once again!

"Ember brace yourself once mo-" Red realized the strategy behind Green's "repeat" attack, however he realized it too late. Leo bounded into Ember's right side, precisely where he had wounded her before in the hold. The Charmander shrieked as the impact sent her bounding across the field. "EMBER!" Red panicked as he watched Ember struggle to get back on her feet.

"Don't let her recover! Strike again!" Leo sprinted again for his opponent. He hunched over and bull rushed Ember once more, this time crashing into her with greater force. The lizard cried out again as this time she was sent flying. Ember crashed to the ground horrifically to the point that Red could feel the pain himself.

"Ember!? EMBER!?" He cried out for Ember to respond. The creature was silent and barely moved. Red felt as if his heart just plummeted into his stomach. His inexperience in realizing tactics caused her to face agonizing pain. _I fucked up._ "Ember! Ember please respond!" _I fucked up!_ Still no answer from her. _I fucked up!_ Red felt his face drain of all color. He was no good at this Pokemon Training thing. _I fucked up!_ He was shit, complete shit. What was worse of all, he got an innocent creature that put her faith in him injured to the point that she'll die if he didn't stop. Red felt as if he betrayed Ember within the first day. No, Red did betray her. _I can't do this..._

"Heh, looks like I win..." Green mused to himself. He crossed his arms across his chest triumphantly. Green made his declaration: he was better than Red. Today, he made that fact apparent to all of the people of Pallet Town who watched the fight. Soon, all of Kanto will know that he's the best. "Told ya Leo was a champ! Blue, call it!"

Blue bit her lip as see watched the scene. The fight was just a brief, but awful sight of brutality. She heard the murmurs from the audience as they had already decided the battle was over. She turned from the gloating Green to the disheartened Red. Blue could see the crushing defeat in his eyes, but it wasn't from the fact he lost. No, she knew Red could take a loss. It was the swiftness and efficient way Green brought the fight to the end that killed poor Red. Unfortunately, Blue knew she had to call this. She slowly raised her hand, ready to call the end.

"I'm sorry Red..." she whispered softly.

"Bulba!" Chrys snapped Blue at attention. He aggressively nudged her leg and then pointed his snout to the field. "Bulba bulba... saur bulb-bulbasaur!"

Blue looked out to where her partner was pointing to and noticed something. Although struggling, Ember was getting to her feet. The creature was obviously in horrid pain, but when the lizard turned to show her face, everyone saw that the fire in her eyes burned brighter than the one on her tail.

"Hold on! The fight's still on!"

"CHAAARRRRR!" Ember cried out in defiance. Red snapped out of his despair to see his Charmander getting back up. Her breathing was heavy and slightly labored. She clenched her injured rib and cringed as she tried to move. Ember was a complete wreck and barely holding it together. Yet Red could see she was trying to focus with all her will.

"Ember! Don't force yourself anymore! It's ok!" Red called out to her. He had to stop her from continuing or things will just get worse. Her safety was top priority and Red could tell she was in critical condition. "There will be other days where we can win! Don't do this!"

Ember looked at her Trainer and shook her head at him. She knew she was being disobedient, but she _had _to win for Red. Red gaped in shock as Ember defied him and eased herself into a fighting stance once more. She wanted to keep going, even if her recklessness would kill her.

"Please... don't do this..." Red's voice was wavering. This whole mess of a first day as a Trainer was just a show that he wasn't cut out for this.

"Yeah Ember, listen to Red." Green called out to the defiant Pokemon. He had to end this; it was already clear that he was the victor. As much as he would love to make the victory a complete sweep, Green wasn't going to kill another Pokemon doing that. "There's no shame in losing, this is just our first fight. There will be more in the future!"

"Char-char... man... der Charmander..." She growled angrily. Red had no clue what she was thinking, but her demeanor Suddenly, an electronic beep came from Red's jacket. He quickly pulled what was making the noise: his Pokedex. Red must have left it on since he got it from Oak. The device's lights and flashing wildly as it seemed to be processing something. After a quick moment, it pinged once more.

"VOCALIZATION PATTERN RECOGNIZED." The device's Microsoft Sam voice chimed out irritatingly. "THIS IS A CHARMANDER/CHARAMELEON/CHARIZARD DECLARATION VOCAL PATTERN. THIS PATTERN IS THEORIZED TO BE USED PRIMARILY TO EXPRESS EXTREME LOYALTY OR PRIDE TO THEIR LEADER. THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RECORDED FOR RESEARCH BY THE POKEMON INFORMATION NETWORK. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE."

"Declaration of... loyalty?" Red repeated softly. "Ember's declaring her... loyalty to me?" He looked back to the struggling Ember. She looked right back at him as if hoping her message was clear to him. "You want to fight that badly for me?"

"Char!" Her cry was solid and full of energy. It was clear Ember was not out of this fight yet. Red pulled his cap down to block all vision for a moment. He swallowed down a few deep breaths as he recollected himself.

_Should I push Ember this hard?_ _She seems dead set on seeing her debut fight to the very end. Ember wants to fight so hard for my approval but why? Doesn't she know that she already has approval from me... and it's not like she's going to lose it..._

_Wait, that's it!_ Red just realized why she's doing this. Ember doesn't want Red's approval; she wants to show that she _deserves _his approval. Ember is willing to lay her life on the line to show that she is a Pokemon worthy of him.

_Seriously...? We just met Ember... and you want to do this much for me already? Is this what Pokemon do for their Trainers? They live and die for their Trainers? I don't deserve this loyalty from you. I'm just a normal kid who just started this Pokemon gig with nary a clue in my head. You have to know this too Ember. You and I are newbies... but yet you're willing to go this far for me already. Did we really connect that deeply from our first meeting? Dad... is this what happened to you as well? Did this happen to Blue and Green?_

_Man... I'm a fucking idiot. Ember, it's not you who doesn't deserve a Trainer like me... I don't deserve a loyal friend like you... _

_Not now at least... If you're willing to fight for me, I have to fight for you._

"Green! Are you still willing to continue this fight!?" Red asked. Green was taken aback by the new, serious tone in Red's voice. Just a minute ago the kid sounded like he was going to cry.

"Are you serious!? Ember looks like she's ready to keel over!" scolded Green. He couldn't believe how idiotic Red was being with this.

"Red! Don't push her!" Blue replied in protest. "You could get her killed doing something like this!"

"No... I'm not going to kill her." Red lifted his cap up to show the fire in his eyes now. _I have to make it up to her._ "We're going to win."

Green grinned widely. As much as he7 knew that Red was being careless, that desire to keep fighting just fueled Green to prove he's the best. If Red was going to keep fighting, Green would be happy to oblige. "Fine then! But the fight is over if Ember goes down once more!"

"Green!? Are you really doing this!?" Blue couldn't believe this! Both boys were willing to keep this fight going until someone died. "How thoughtless can you two get!?"

"Look at Red! He's primed to fight this with all he's got." Green shook both arms of his as he was primed up for round two. "And so am I... let us finish this."

"... fine." Blue shrank back, defeated. She can't stop these two from avoiding something stupid. However, she can stop them from going passed the point of no return. "Chrys and I will step in if things go too far."

"It'll be fine Blue." Red reassured her, though Blue wasn't entirely convinced. He nodded to Green to signal that he was ready. "Let's do this." _No mistakes. I need to be absolutely perfect or this is all over._

"Alright! Leo finish this quickly! Charge em once more!" Leo raced once again into another full blown charge. Red knew that Green figured that Ember couldn't withstand another forceful tackle from the turtle again. It was obvious that she can't defend against another one, but that was not Red's choice of action this time around.

_Defending is not an option. I need to make his attack mine. _He watched as Leo closed the distance rapidly between him and Ember. This next command needed to be timed perfectly to avoid it being ruined. _Precision, just a few more feet..._ Just as Leo passed the point that he couldn't stop, Red snapped into action. _Now!_

"Flip him!" He commanded with perfect timing. Ember intercepted Leo's tackle and used the force he had placed in his attack to flip him up and over her head. The Squirtle came crashing down with a sickening thud. The slam of the impact knocked the wind out of him as the tremor shook him through his tough shell to his small body. _Perfect._

Green panicked when he noticed Red exploited the recklessness of their tactics. He not only reversed the attack, but left the turtle vulnerable on his back. "Leo! Get up! NOW!"

"Guys! Stop this now!" Blue cried out, but her plea fell on deaf ears. She had to stop this before it went too far. This fight escalated beyond a simple contest and became something more brutal. When she tried to step in, Chrys had bit into one of her socks and held her back. Blue turned to see why he stopped her, but was only greeted with a slow shake of the head. The Bulbasaur was seeing something that Blue failed to notice.

"Ember, don't let this chance escape!" Leo tried to roll over to his hands and legs but Ember stopped him with a swift elbow drop to the stomach. Leo gagged in agony at the heavy blow to his exposed stomach. He coughed up some blood but grit his teeth to remain focused.

"Leo! Spin on your shell and trip her up!" Quickly, Leo propelled himself with his tail to spin himself on the curvature of his shell. In the midst of his spin, the turtle managed to kick Ember's feet from under her. She flipped and fell to the ground hard. This moment gave Leo ample time to get back up on his feet. "Now, return the favor!"

"Roll away!" _Shield all weakness. Keep moving._ Leo attempted to return the elbow drop, but Red's quick thinking let Ember roll to the side to avoid the blow. The Squirtle cried in pain as his elbow hit nothing but cold, hard ground. "Advance and strike! NOW!"

Ember intercepted Leo trying to recover from his failed attack. With claws exposed, Ember furiously swiped at her opponent. She slashed at both his previously injured face and now his raw stomach. Leo reeled back from the onslaught, unable to defend himself properly. Green watched in horror as Red's new found confidence just completely turned this fight around. He had to do something or he'll end up losing!

"Leo, you gotta go for her ribs! Quick!" His voice cracked with desperation as the lead he had unraveled completely before him. Leo moved sluggishly as the many injuries to his face, back, and stomach was starting to catch up to him.

"Ember, defend yourself and counter!" As Leo went in to strike at her injured ribs, Ember parried the blow and flipped the Squirtle to the side. Ember slammed him onto his back one last time and followed up with a swift punch to the stomach. The force of the impact knocked out what little fight Leo had left.

"Leo! Get up!" Green pleaded for Leo to respond but was only greeted with gurgled cries. "Come on man! Please! Get up!" Leo struggled to get to his feet once more but was just unable to bring up any energy to do so. With one final grunt, Leo gave up, slammed his fist angrily against the ground, and just lay back in defeat. Green grumbled angrily as the fact he lost finally began to sink in. He retrieved Leo's Pokeball from his belt and pointed it to his partner. "Come on back Leo, we're done..." A red beam of light shot out from the Pokeball, engulfed Leo within it, and brought him back as energy to be stored within the capsule.

"Leo is unable to fight!" Blue called out and brought the match to an end. "Victory goes to Red and Ember!" The sizable crowd exploded in applause as they all witnessed an amazing comeback Red managed to pull off. While they were impressed with the fight, Blue on the other hand was at a loss of words for what just happened.

This wasn't like watching the sport battles on TV, not in the slightest. Watching Red and Green battle was like watching a desperate, all-or-nothing struggle, a battle to the death if you will. Even though both Ember and Leo are still young and underdeveloped, both Pokemon and Trainers fought with their all. There was absolutely no restraint in their actions. Blue couldn't figure out if she should be inspired that they all put their hearts on the line or frightened that what she saw was a battle on a whole other level.

"Is this what our journey is going to be like?" Blue whispered to Chrys. She hoped that the Bulbasaur who watched the fight with her had any insight. He should, as he was the first to notice that Ember was not out of the fight. "Was this what you wanted me to see?"

"Bulba." Chrys replied proudly. He nuzzled against Blue's leg, but it did little to reassure her. Although, it did prove to her that she had much to learn.

Ember limped weakly to meet with Red although he raced to be at her side. With a weak cry, the Pokemon collapsed heavily in his arms like a sack of potatoes.

"E-Ember? Are you ok..?" His voice was filled with dreadful worry, but his new friend use what little energy she had to tightly hug him around the neck. Red sighed heavily in relief and cradled the exhausted Ember close to his chest. "I'm proud of you Ember... even if we had given up earlier. I will always be proud of you..."

"Ch-chaarr..." Ember strained slightly to respond, but Red hushed her with a finger to her snout.

"Just relax now..." Red looked down as he tried to hide his face from her. While he was extremely relieved that she'll live, raging emotions from the tension were ready to burst. He held himself back, but deep down he felt like crying. "And next time... let's be more careful."

_I can't lose my precious friend._

-( | )-

**Trainer Stats:**

_Red Satoshi - PkMn Trainer_

- "Ember"

Lvl 6 Female Charmander

Brave

Strong Willed

Moves

- Scratch

- Growl

_Green Oak – PkMn Trainer_

-"Leonardo"

Lvl 5 Male Squirtle

Adamant

Hates to lose

Moves

- Tackle

- Tail Whip

_Blue Tajiri – PkMn Trainer_

-"Chrysanthemum"

Lvl 5 Male Bulbasaur

Relaxed

Thoroughly Cunning

Moves

- Tackle

- Growl

**Author's Notes: Well... this chapter turned out completely unexpected from what I aimed to do. As you probably noticed, this was labeled as 'Battle One' rather than 'Chapter 4.' I intended to make a series of chapters known as 'Battle Chapters.' They were meant to separate the battles from the plot and be a lot shorter than the plot chapters.**

**Totally ended up being the opposite. Ah well. I'd like to say I'm proud of my first attempt at writing a fight.**

**So yeah, first fight and it was a doozy of one. Well, I had to make a Scratch+Growl vs Tackle+Tail Whip fight more interesting. So, I likened an "amateur" fight with no prior experience to something of like a bar brawl. No tempered training and moves, just raw wit and power. Future fights will be more interesting when the Pokes get new moves.**

**Also, on a fun note: a lot of this story is actually linked to fond memories of my first time playing Red and a current run through I'm doing of Fire Red. So, things that have occurred in my games will make it in here... like how I got a female Charmander. Same goes for what I got for the Starter's stats. I actually got all three of those when I started new games just to get ideas for their behaviors.**

**~Zero**


	5. Act One: Chapter Four

**Act One****: Dream Job**

**Chapter Four****: My Friends**

_After witnessing the first Pokemon Battle they had, I had feared that Red and Green would have been at each others throats. Red seemed to have almost lost Ember and Green suffered the greatest upset that would've murdered his inflated ego. Yet here I am, watching these two get along as if nothing happened. It feels so eerie watching these two act like they had the time of their lives when all I saw was akin to a brutal street brawl. Shouldn't they be like... despising each other now? I know that Green is a sore loser to the core and Red has difficulty forgiving Green whenever he goes too far._

_What am I missing? What was going on through their minds during that fight? What made that Pokemon Battle different from every other time something drove a wedge between these two? I feel my mind reeling in a tornado of confusion as I am completely at a loss for what is going on now. _

The three teens sat on the living room floor of Green's home. Scattered all around them were the various items that they would need for their journey. Although organization and prep work were the intended goals of the visit; bags, maps, Pokeballs, Potions and all the essentials still remained untouched from when they were first dumped on the floor. They have been meaning to get to work, but Green and Red will still on their high from their first battle.

"Man Red... I still can't believe you pulled that off!" Green said, impressed as he played that battle out through his mind again. "I had you, I was so close to sweeping you! Yet you just pulled out some friggin' miracle to snatch it away!" It seemed like Green had respectful disdain for his rival's victory. Blue could see that his ego was indeed wounded from the loss, but Green seemed to be handling it with a shred of maturity for once.

_He must be sick or suffering some kind of PTSD. There's no way he'd be this cool about the loss._

Red let a modest smile slip from his lips. "I would call it more of a draw... Ember could barely stand after that fight."

"Surprised you're handling it so well." Muttered Blue nonchalantly. She figured she may as well try to draw some answers from these two. "You flipped out last week when Red won _Monopoly._"

"First, everyone knows that _Monopoly_ is a shitty game that no one has the patience to fully play through... Fuck Boardwalk and Park Place." Green scoffed while adding bitter venom to that last quip. He sighed and rolled his head back as he tried to muster up the will to contend Blue's first comment. "Second... I will admit I was a bit furious with the loss..."

_And now honesty? I must've died and gone to a heaven with a tolerable Green._

"However, I knew Red and Ember gave it their all just as Leo and I did." A warm smile grew on Green's lips as he recalled the battle once more. "That battle was something else... it wasn't simple sportsmanship... it was a true contest of heart and will."

"Was that why it seemed like a frightening bloodbath?" Blue was failing to see the point Green was getting across, even when Green was shifting into his Pokemon Preacher mode.

"Well, we may have gotten a little carried away... but that can be chalked up to sheer inexperience and restraint." Green retrieved the Pokeball that held Leo from the floor and held it firmly in his palm. "All I can say is that I felt really alive during that fight. It's true that I wanted to smash Red into the ground... hell, I still do, but when I saw Red giving his all in the fight... he pushed me to reach even higher. I felt the true thrill of working my way to the top from that first fight alone. He made it clear it wouldn't be easy, but that feeling of putting everything you got towards your dream... damn it felt good."

Blue raised a curious eyebrow. "Your mind is capable of having a dream?"

"Bite me. And if you were paying attention, I told you before: I wanna become number one." His declaration was firm and full of power, proof that it wasn't some empty desire. "I want to become the strongest Pokemon Trainer in the world. Better than Red, better than Lance, better than anyone alive. Yes... I will be a Pokemon Master... and watch Red become my personal bitch." Green's smile warped into a mischievous smirk as he just ruined his passionate speech with a trademark douche line. Both Red and Blue shared a collective sigh of disbelief, yet Red let out a small chuckle. The two turned to him only to see a rather uncharacteristic, sly grin on his lips.

"That's if I don't beat you to it." Red said confidently.

Green laughed heartily at the proclamation. "That's only going to drive me to be even better! May as well quit while you're at it. You keep struggling and I'll keep getting better... No... wait, keep struggling, I want to be a Pokemon God! Dude, can you imagine? People worshiping you for bringing out the true power of Pokemon. Girls will be flocking to have a chance to see me: Green Motherfucking Oak! Dude... I need to get in on that. That's it, new dream: Pokemon God."

"Red..." Blue quietly broke through Green's boasting. While he was off on an inane rant about becoming a god and having massive orgies or whatnot, Blue needed to know Red's side to the fight. "How about you? What was going on through your mind?" She watched his eyes wander to the ceiling as he needed to look deeply for an honest answer.

"Hmm... well... a first I was going through the motions." He admitted calmly, which incited a minor, arrogant scoff from Green. "I guess I was trying to mimic those guys on TV... but when Ember got hurt... I was scared shitless. All through that time, I felt like a worthless Trainer. It pained me to see her in that much agony."

"Well, that was kinda my fault for going all out." Green scratched the back of his head. It seemed that he truly felt some shame in his actions during the fight. "But you're definitely not a worthless Trainer man, not if you managed to turn it around so perfectly."

"I just had to."

Both Blue and Green looked puzzled at that remark. "Had to?" They asked in unison.

Red gave a single, sharp nod. "Ember was fighting so hard for me... something that really moved me. To see that kind of loyalty from our first day together... I wondered what I did to deserve it. However, I came to the conclusion that instead of wondering why I deserve her loyalty, I would instead keep fighting to deserve her loyalty. And so, I fought to win for her, because I had to. Ember fought to win, I fought to win. We were together as one."

Green took the moment to consider Red's words. "Wow man, that was your secret? That's kind of badass come to think of it..."

Blue remained silent as she processed this new information. _Green fought for his dream... Red fought for his Pokemon. They both fought to the bitter end for things they truly put their heart in... It's starting to make sense now. The fights we watch on TV are more or less just simple contests with not much but prize money as the reward. Just two opponents fighting respectively against each other. If one lost, only the chance at the prize is lost and not much else. What these two fought for was something much more than a materialistic reward... well maybe not in Green's case but it is a dream he holds dear. If either of them suffered a truly devastating defeat, their losses would be much greater and probably unrecoverable. I wonder what I would fight so passionately for that I would risk it all?_

"Someone's thinking too much again." Red's calming voice brought Blue back from her reverie. She looked up to see both boys were staring at her. It was obvious by the concerned look in their eyes that they knew she was at odds with herself.

"Something been eating ya?" asked Green. "You've been acting weird ever since the fight." True, Blue was not being discreet about her concerns in the slightest. She never was able to hide much from these two. Each of them had a different wavelength, but one was guaranteed to pick up on something from her.

_I may as well be honest..._

Blue sighed heavily. Her worries just engulfed her to the point of physical exhaustion. "I guess I'm just feeling nervous or something. Like, my idea of Pokemon Training seemed to be just all sunshine and farts. Yet, after seeing that fight today... it scared me. I feel like now that I'm diving into something I'm not ready for. Hell, this may not be for me after all."

"You're worrying too much Blue." Green said confidently, smirking all the while to prove his point. "Look, we're just starting out in this gig; you think we know exactly what the hell we're doing?"

"During that fight you guys did-" Green snapped his fingers to cut Blue off.

"That doesn't mean that will work for tomorrow. Just like everyone else, we're diving head first into an unknown path that millions have traveled. And, just like everyone else, we're going to be feeling our way through that path until we find our way."

Blue raised an eyebrow. "Then how is it unknown if others have done it?"

"I think what Green means is that their experiences may not apply to our experiences." Red added quietly. "Sure, people can give us advice on how to go about our Pokemon Training careers, but they can't give the solution to it. That's just something we have to figure out on our own."

_We're alone in figuring this out in the very end..._

Green nodded enthusiastically in agreement. "Precisely! You, me, and Red will have to learn how to do this. We don't have the answers, just tips others gave us. It's all up to us..." He trailed off when he noticed Blue still seemed worried. She was biting her lip in a futile attempt to try to remain strong. Sighing, Green leaned over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. Blue jerked in surprise at his advance, but she didn't pull away. "That doesn't mean you're alone. Both Red and I will always be there to help you." Blue looked to Red for confirmation on Green's claim. She received a silent, but reassuring nod accompanied with a soft smile from him. Red was always someone who could speak without words to get a point across.

"You guys will be there..." She repeated softly. The idea brought a flutter to her heart. To have dependable friends to always rely on in this journey... she wasn't going to be alone. A warm smile slipped from her lips as she let the idea wash away her worries. "We'll learn and grow together... and help each other when we need it." She watched Green return the smile as he released her.

"You bet'cha." Green seemed satisfied that she was feeling better about this whole thing. "Didn't we promise each other that we'd all reach for the top?"

Blue stuck out her lips in a rather cute pout. "We didn't hug on it, though."

"Well, I ain't hugging Red, no matter how badly he wants me." Green slowly leered towards Red, just to watch the insult hit its mark. He watched his rival's face contort into a disgusted grimace.

"I hate you." Red's words were pure venom. However, his hatred quickly subsided when Green and Blue burst into laughter. It was hard for Red to stay mad for long as the merry atmosphere was infectious enough for him to break and join in.

_Times like these really make me appreciate these two..._

-( | )-

_After an hour or so of merriment, the boys clonked out one after the other. The two seemed to have been exhausted after the battle as if they fought it themselves. Well, that seems to be close to what happened from my understanding. Both were just as invested into the fight as the Pokemon were. To be that drained from the fight... the brutality of it. Both the physical and emotional investment made to it... it really was on a different level from 'Monday Night Pokemon Fight.' Even with the boys assuring me that we'll all do fine, we'll get stronger..._

_I'm still frightened beyond all belief. For both Green and Red... For myself as well..._

With the boys asleep and their equipment still in disarray, Blue invested her time to make sure they were all ready to venture out in the morning. Packing their gear away was something to keep her mind off the lingering shock of the more violent nature that the public media hadn't really prepared them for. It also gave her a sense of purpose and a small state of comfort knowing that she was doing all she could to keep the two safe. They sure as hell wouldn't be able to think of all the essentials they would need.

Three camping bags were lined up neatly on the dining room table. Within each, Blue made sure they had what they needed. Sleeping bags, mini washing basin for clothes and dishes, portable hot-plate, first aid kits (both for humans and Pokemon), survival handbooks, emergency batteries for the PokeGear and Pokedex, the town maps Daisy gave them... really the list went on and on.

Speaking of lists, Blue even made herself one to be one-hundred percent sure she gave them all everything they had. Each little assurance that she crossed off brought her closer to peace of mind.

"I don't know who's more neurotic." Came a familiar voice in the darkness of night. "You or my sister."

Blue turned to see Green leaning against the doorway to the living room. "G-Green..." The mild shock of seeing him instantly turned to irritation. "You're supposed to be asleep!"

"Shh!" hissed Green and pointed to the sleeping Red on the couch. "Don't wake him up, geez."

Blue sighed heavily as she tried to contain her annoyance. She didn't need the worry of Green not sleeping on top of the worry they weren't prepared enough for the journey. "Back to bed."

"Not until you do the same thing." Uncharacteristically for Green, he was deadpan serious in his tone. "I'm not having you staying up all night freaking out over this."

It was getting hard to contain herself for Red's expense, but Blue tried to do so with every fiber of her being. "Who says I'm worried at all?!"

"The way you just spazzed." Blue can be just as stubborn as Green, yet she was smarter than him. Unlike Green, she knew when she was losing a fight and when to just swallow her pride and end it. This was one of those times. The very rare times mind you, but one of them. "You're still scared about this, aren't you?"

"Weird for you to care." Green shrugged off that venomous bit from Blue. He knew when Blue would swing wild to defend herself. The boy remained silently, but still watchful of Blue as she went through the motions of her raging worries. Blue fidgeted, clenched and unclenched her fists as she slowly burned through the stress pent up within her. Finally, she bit her lip and sighed. "Sorry..."

"S'okay..." Green replied softly. "We're all freaking out about this. Red had his spaz attack yesterday and today, you get to have yours."

"How come you're holding yourself together then?" Blue wanted to deflect the attention from her to him. Not only to save face, but to get a little more understanding of what's going on in his head.

"I'm just that awesome." Of course, a narcissistic answer with a complimentary smirk to go with it.

"You're a prick sometimes, you know that?"

"Yeah, not gonna change anytime soon." In a sad, but reassuring way, Green admitting that the constant of him being a jerk was a nice emotional anchor. A silence hung around them. All that was racing through Blue's head were the worries that just refused to go away with the wondrous support both Red and Green gave her. Even with Green here trying to get her to calm down, the rarest form of comfort, her fears kept clawing away at her. Though, priding herself to be the smartest of the three, the voice of reason was telling her to be honest... even to Green.

"I'm still scared Green..." Her voice was weak, almost on the verge of tears. "After what I saw at today's battle... I never realized how violent this journey can be."

"It's something that they don't really tell us... I know." Blue perked up when Green seemed to hone in on where she was aiming at. His voice was strangely calming but that was because he wasn't acting like his usual self. "I think of the three of us, I'm the most prepared for that side due to Pokemon being the family business. I grew up hearing the "dirty" truth that doesn't really get glorified in the public."

"Makes sense..."

"It's true... we're dealing with mysterious, but wild creatures. We can tame them sure, but defending ourselves against others... we don't have the true skills of professional battlers yet. So fights will be fights of survival... desperation and investing our whole being into them until we gain the knowledge to fight calmly and swiftly. That knowledge, just like any other field, is gained from trial and error. We'll start off swinging wild into the darkness as we build the skills and know-how that work for us. In turn, our growing experience becomes the light that chips away the darkness of the unknown that threatens us."

Blue was kind of impressed with Green's wisdom him. "That's pretty profound..."

"Gramps has been telling me that since I was six." And just like that, Blue's impression of Green dropped. Of course those weren't his words, Blue was silly to think that Green had his own words of wisdom.

"Still... this is something that did take Red's father away..." The two turned to the sleeping Red. The boy was still sound asleep, thankfully. However, he lived with that knowledge of a possible fate to the three of them. With the closeness of the three, that lingering thought was something that would hang over all of them. All three of them could die on this journey.

"I'm not letting that happen." Green said defiantly. The sudden burst of extreme confidence was almost frightening. Blue stared at Green, wondering what who replaced the jerk she knew. "I'm not going to let either of you end up like Red's dad."

"... you can't really... promise that."

"Of course I can. We all promised each other to make it to the top. I'm making sure we're all going to the top, even if I have to drag you up there."

"I thought you wanted to be number one..."

"Correct. You guys are going to be two and three. Fight amongst yourselves on who's two." Blue rolled her eyes at him. Even when he was surprising her with bouts of maturity, Green always found a way to sneak back into being a tool. "However, you guys are my friends and, contrary to popular belief, I do care about you two. Just like you care about Red and me."

Blue raised an quizzical eyebrow. "You're capable of caring for someone?"

"Bite me." Green approached the girl and rested his hands on her shoulders. "Look, I understand that starting tomorrow, we're going to leave our old lives behind and start a brand new one. Change is scary, but I think we're going to on an adventure that words can't begin to describe it. The dangers are terrifying and very real... but, I think that we have to go through them. Each challenge we come across and conquer will bring us closer to being something truly great."

"... I'm just scared for our safety."

"I'll protect you." Green said calmly. Just hearing those words from Green of all people hit her fears and shattered them like glass. "Red will protect you. Red will protect me and I will protect him. Just like you protect us."

"Protect... both of you..." Blue repeated his words. "Do you really think I could protect you guys?"

"You're doing it right now." Green pointed to the neatly packed bags sitting on the table. "And I have absolute confidence that you will keep protecting us in the future."

_Green has... faith in me? To protect him and Red... they'll protect each other and me. We all protect each other._

Blue wiped her eyes quickly to hide the tears that dared to start escaping. "We'll be fine... right?" Green gave her a quick nod. "All for one and one for all huh?" Another nod. "Then hug on it."

Green grimaced. "The hell is your fetish with hugs?"

"Do it!"

"Ugh... fine." Green swallowed his pride and drew Blue into a quick, somewhat awkward embrace. It lasted barely a few seconds before he tore away and turned to hide the scarlet that was quickly dying his cheeks. Unfortunately, Blue still caught a glimpse of it, but decided to keep her mouth shut on the matter. "Don't tell Red about this, I'll never live it down."

"God you're a sissy."

"Says the girl freaking out."

"I'm better now!" It's true, she was feeling much better now. Her eyes glittered with new found excitement and strength to go forward to embark on their life changing journey. "Green, let me just do one last check on our gear and I'll go to bed, promise."

Green smirked. "Fine, have it your way. Just don't stay up too late a'ight?"

"I won't." She watched as Green departed back up the stairwell to his room. Moving with renewed vigor, Blue quickly did her final inspection of the gear. With each little piece checked off the list, she grew more and more confident in herself.

_This is just one of the ways that I protect them. And it won't stop there. I will be just as good of a Trainer as both of them are. I'll keep them safe from any danger. I'll fight to protect them from anything that threatens them. We promised that we'll all make it to the top. I'll make sure we all make it to the top._

_I love my friends. Red and Green are always there for me._

_And I'll always be there for them._

"I promise."

-( | )-

**Author's Notes****: Well, it's been a while eh? I'm not going to make too many excuses about the super delay on this chapter. Life stuffs. Adult stuffs, y'know? But, I'm back and continuing to write Color Blind, so no more worries.**

**So yeah, we got a Blue-centric chapter about her fears that surfaced from the brutal fight. It was a but tough to write, as I didn't want Blue to come off too weak. Yet, in the relationship the three have, she's the one who keeps Red and Green in check and safe. The two are reckless boys and Blue pretty much does have to babysit them. But there is strength in that, to not only keep herself alive but two others as well. It's stressful, something I know all too well. Anywho, enough babbling. **

**I humbly apologize for the major delay and thank you deeply for reading this and giving me extreme patience. Stay tuned for the next installment. They'll final hit Route 1! Seriously, five chapters and they're still in Pallet Town. I'm making wonderful progress.**

**~Zero**


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